On The Menu: December 2, 2015

Game information courtesy Matt College Sports on TV Website, which has even more games listed.

All times listed are Eastern, adjust accordingly.

Big Ten/ACC Challenge

No. 24 Louisville Cardinals at No. 3 Michigan State Spartans, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN)

This contest is the most attractive of the six on the challenge slate tonight. Denzel Valentine and the Spartans, who, in my opinion, should have been ranked second in the country even before Maryland lost at North Carolina last night, will be a difficult first true road test for a somewhat inexperienced Cardinal squad that had little trouble with Saint Louis in Brooklyn on Saturday night.

Wisconsin Badgers at No. 14 Syracuse Orange, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN2)

The Orange were a revelation in sweeping through the Battle 4 Atlantis, while the Badgers are fresh off a 17-point loss at Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon.

Penn State Nittany Lions at Boston College Eagles, 7:15 p.m. (ESPNU)

If the Ocho actually existed, this matchup between two likely bets to finish last in their respective conferences would be airing there.

Indiana Hoosiers at No. 7 Duke Blue Devils, 9:15 p.m. (ESPN)

Given how unpredictable Tom Crean-era Hoosier teams have been, you can pencil in the upset here. However, I don't think Monday's 41-point home win over Alcorn State will have adequately prepared Indiana for Cameron.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Illinois Fighting Illini, 9:15 p.m. (ESPN2)

The Fighting Illini finally return to Champaign where they'll face a Fighting Irish squad that is coming off a disappointing 1-2 trip to the Advocare Invitational, capped by a loss to Alabama, a squad that looks fairly comparable to Illinois at this point.

Florida State Seminoles at Iowa Hawkeyes, 9:15 p.m. (ESPNU)

The Seminoles play two of their three best non-conference matchups this week, as a neutral-site showdown with VCU in Atlanta up next on Sunday. After dropping their Paradise Jam quarterfinal, games against the Hawkeyes and Rams are vital for the 'Noles NCAA hopes. Iowa will enter tonight on a bit of a high, thanks to their dominating performance against a shorthanded Wichita State squad at Walt Disney World on Sunday.

Other Intriguing Entrees

Butler Bulldogs at No. 17 Cincinnati Bearcats, 7 p.m. (CBSSN)

The Bulldogs' high-octane offense hasn't seen a defense like the Bearcats yet.

Seton Hall Pirates at George Washington Colonials, 7 p.m. (ASN)

Cincinnati's last victim, the Colonials, host a Pirates team that's been feasting on middle-tier SEC teams of late. Look for GW to slow the Hall down and avenge last season's four-point loss in Newark.

Texas Southern Tigers at Mississippi State Bulldogs, 8 p.m. (SEC Network)

The Bulldogs have already lost to Southern at home, so keep an eye on this one.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Oklahoma State Cowboys, 8 p.m. (FS Oklahoma/FCS Central)

The Golden Hurricane need this one for at-large purposes following losses to South Carolina in the Paradise Jam final and Little Rock. The Cowboys defeated Tulsa by 15 in the MGM Grand Main Event final last season.

SMU Mustangs at TCU Horned Frogs, 8 p.m. (FS Southwest/FCS Atlantic)

The Ponies' attack will be challenged by a Horned Frogs' defense that's been surprisingly good, but don't expect an upset.

North Florida Ospreys at LSU Tigers, 8 p.m. (SEC Network+)

On Monday night, the Bayou Bengals lost at College of Charleston—their third setback in a row. The Ospreys are good enough to extend that streak to four.

VCU Rams at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, 9 p.m. (select FSN outlets)

The Rams head to Murfreesboro to take on one of Conference USA's leading lights, who are fresh off a 3-0 run in the Great Alaska Shootout.

Arizona State Sun Devils at Creighton Bluejays, 9 p.m. (CBSSN)

Intriguing matchup of two teams likely to be on the fringes of the at-large picture.

UTEP Miners at New Mexico State Aggies, 9 p.m. (AggieVision/ESPN3)

Local rivals meet for the first game of their traditional home-and-home. The Aggies have won four straight in Las Cruces.

BYU Cougars at Utah Utes, 10 p.m. (Pac-12 Network National and Mountain)

The Utes will look to pick up their third consecutive win over their archrivals, while the Cougars could use a big name win as a follow up on Saturday's victory over Belmont.

USC Trojans at UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, 10 p.m. (BigWest.tv)

The Trojans, who followed their Advocare Invitational quarterfinal win over Wichita State with a pair of losses, won't have an easy time getting back on track at the Thunderdome. The Gauchos want their first win of the season over a Pac-12 squad, after picking up three losses on the road.

No. 13 Gonzaga Bulldogs at Washington State Cougars, 11 p.m. (FS1)

The Cougars last defeated the Bulldogs a little less than five years ago, on December 8, 2010. Don't expect that run to end this evening.

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